Ohio State will take on its fiercest rival on the hardwood Friday night as the Buckeyes hope to take down the Wolverines and hand them their second loss of the season. It won't be an easy one for Ohio State as the Wolverines have dominated this season, but the Buckeyes have had solid success this year as well.
The Buckeyes were just three points away from knocking down No. 10 Nebraska at home, and with only four other losses on the schedule, Ohio State is looking better than it did a year before. Now, the game will be set in Michigan, so Ohio State will be heading into a familiar hostile territory, but that is no reason for the final odds of this game to be the way that they are.
Final odds, spread, and total for Ohio State vs. No. 3 Michigan on the hardwood
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Michigan: -15.5 (-105)
- Ohio State: +15.5 (-115)
Moneyline
- Michigan: -1700
- Ohio State: +890
Total
- O/U: 164.5 (-115/-105)
Having Ohio State as a 15.5-point underdog just seems like a slap in the face to the Buckeyes. While Ohio State has had its struggles at times this season, this is a rivalry game, and anything can happen, especially when it comes down to these two teams.
The Buckeyes are coming off a huge overtime win over Minnesota in which the second leading scorer, John Mobley Jr., dropped 26 points. Leading scorer for the Buckeyes, Bruce Thornton, who averages 20.7 points per game, will be the x-factor in this game for Ohio State, as his ability to get to the basket and finish, as well as his rebounding ability, is what makes him so dangerous.
Oddsmakers could have given the Buckeyes a little more credit in this game, but that will just make the win over an arch rival even sweeter for Ohio State.